Magnesium. How much, too much, test?

[gr8nano]

Sorry for not being advanced but should water be tested often when adding?? What does overdosing cause, what test should be purchased, Whats my best bet. Adding aquavitro ions right now

 

[nuccadoc]

As with any supplement you are adding you need to know where you are right now and where you want to be. Mg in NSW is 1300 so if that is your goal read the directions...it will tell you how much to add in reference to the size of your tank.

The Elos Mg test kit is one of the best out there and is the one I use myself.

You don't want to overdose...at least for not extended periods of time. Mg is a metal and you can develop a toxicity problem if left unchecked. Some aquarists have elevated MG levels to help combat algae problems.


Scott

 

[mscarpena]

1300-1450 is a good range. Also test frequently when your tank is setting up then I back of to about once per month now, but I have been reffing for about 8 years. Once your tanks are established and full you basically know how much of what to add and when. I test cal, alk, ph, mag, and SG

 

[goodreef]

I don't think you'd have serious issues with MG overdosing. I've seen tanks with very high MG with no ill effects, and I've never heard of any tank crashes due to MG overdose.

 

[chercm]

some keep high mg because it helps in reducing algae outbreaks and also keep DKh stable

 

[Snafu-2112]

I keep mine at 1400, and test with ELOS as well.

 

[Aquarist007]

some keep high mg because it helps in reducing algae outbreaks and also keep DKh stable

running a tank at 1600 ppm magnesium will control bryopsis with no adverse affects on fish, corals and inverts

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

read Mg articles and

read Mg articles and


bookmark this page

IME unnaturally elevated levels of Mg can affect snails, clams and certain other mollusks.

 

[iamwrasseman]

i have had mine at 1600 for three or four years and it helps with algae IMO . i used to have a very high bio load but have sold off some fish and have no problems with algae so i will be lowering it slowly for the next month or so . i have never had any problems with loss due to it being that high but i dont have any clams or mollusks so i dont know if it would have effected them but my snails stay alive until my wrasses find them then its dinner time . so in my experiences i have never had any chemistry problems but Gary is probably correct and i just never had anything in my tank for it to effect .

 

[wickedfish]

Snails are definitely sensitive to changes in parameters especially alk and mag ime. I have lost snails when my alk swing was larger than 3-5 dKH in a 48 hr period and along with the alk the magnesium was also lowered.

 

[bdbyace28]

Mg can be kept between 1300-1500ppm. A good indicator is the coraline algae bleaching if it gets low since it sucks up a lot of Mg. Spend a little more for a good test like salifert. bulkreefsupply.com has a good calculator for adding supplements based on water volume.

 

[cmbspd]

running a tank at 1600 ppm magnesium will control bryopsis with no adverse affects on fish, corals and inverts

Capn, I thought this was for very specific mg supplements and likely due to an impurity in the supplement (Kent brand mg supplement). Has this thinking changed or am I simply wrong?

 

[aleonn]

Mg can be kept between 1300-1500ppm. A good indicator is the coraline algae bleaching if it gets low since it sucks up a lot of Mg. Spend a little more for a good test like salifert. bulkreefsupply.com has a good calculator for adding supplements based on water volume.

Good tip on coraline algae bleaching. I'll have to recheck my Mg levels, thanks!

 

[Waterobert]

I keep Mg at 1450-1500. I have two Mg test kits, one gives me reading of 1250 and the other 1475. I kind of believe that salifert gives me "correct" reading. My point is that tests kits are not perfect and it is better to have higher Mg level than to low.

 

[rick12]

which kit is 1250 and which is 1475?

 

[Aquarist007]

Capn, I thought this was for very specific mg supplements and likely due to an impurity in the supplement (Kent brand mg supplement). Has this thinking changed or am I simply wrong?

I was not aware of that--do you have any links to that information?

You do have to be careful and watchful of your alkalinity level. Magnesium chloride will not raise the alkalinity level but magnesium sulfate(epsom salts) will.

The idea of raising to fight bryopsis was over a three week period with the magnesium levels gradually raised and then lowered again---it was not meant as a long term solution.

As with every dosing you should consult the chemical dosing calculator, it will give you daily maximums to add depending on the product

 

[Waterobert]

Salifert 1475
Seachem 1250
I had seachem for a year, so I got salifert. It seems to be more accurate so I think that this one is closer to the true reading.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Capn, I thought this was for very specific mg supplements and likely due to an impurity in the supplement (Kent brand mg supplement).

Kent 'Tech M' magnesium supplement is the only Mg supplement that I've tried that effectively kills Bryopsis. Many reefkeepers with Bryopsis have experimented with Mg and come to the same conclusion. An impurity in Kent's Mg supplement might be the cause.


read this thread

 

[mscarpena]

I keep Mg at 1450-1500. I have two Mg test kits, one gives me reading of 1250 and the other 1475. I kind of believe that salifert gives me "correct" reading. My point is that tests kits are not perfect and it is better to have higher Mg level than to low.

I actually dont think that difference is much to complain about. When you take into account the age of ones reagents, the small amount of water being sampled(one may have slightly less water in the sample), the different reagents used possibly, and the tester. Do you hold your droppers perfectly straight up and down. A slight difference in drop size could cause this.

 

[Waterobert]

Yesterday I ordered another test kit, this one is from Tropic Marine. I agree that there is a lot of ways to make mistake during testing. Well, I know that my Mg level should be O.K. and to make sure that it is not on low end of acceptable range I try to keep it closer to the max level.